Electric switch.



W. F. CRADDICK.

E'LEcTmc swlcH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I7. 19418.

1,300,126, Patented Apr. 8,1919.

551g @Lillo/maag STATES PATENT 9151. Y

'WILLIAM IF. CRADDICK, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, ASSIGNOR T0 VIT-O-NET MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPOATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

Application led January 17, 1918. Serial No. 212,360.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. CRADDICK, citizen of the' United States, residing yat Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State ofy Utah, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specication.

My invention-relates to improvements 1n electric switch and conn/ectorsfor controlling multiple electric circuits, and the ob]ect of my invention is to provide an electric switch associated with a plurality of circult connectors whereby any particular one, or any number of particular ones, or all of a plurality of electric circuits may be connected in multiple to and disconnected from the same source of electricity. A A y A further object of `my invention is to pro vide a multiple electric switch and a plurality of circuit connectors in association with electrical resistance coils whereby a plurality of electric circuits of diferent resistance may be connected in multiple'to and disconnected from the same source of electricity to cause substantially the same number of amperes of electricity to flow through each of said pluralit of electric circuits notwithstanding the dierence in the resistance of said circuits.

I accomplish these objects by devices illustrated diagrammatically in the figure of the accompanying drawing, wherein the numeral 1 designates a supporting base of material that is a non-conductor of electricity, upon which supporting base 1 is mounted four electrical switch contact' members 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are'disposcd atequidistant points on a circular line.

contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5, and rigidly fastened to said spindle 6 at a point spaced from the front side surface of said base 1 is a switch member 7 made of springy sheet metal which is formed to have five integral electrical contact arms 8, 9,10, 411 'and 12 that extend radially therefrom in Ypositions to adapt them each to make Aan electrical contact with all of the switch contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5 in response to a rotary movement of said spindle 6.

The angular distance between adjacent ones of the contact arms 8, 9, 11 and 12 is the same but the contact arm 10 is disposed midway between the contact arms 9 and 11, whereby the spindle 6 may be rotatively moved to dispose the contact arm 10 to rest upon and make an electrical contact with any ydesired one of the Contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5 without causing any 0f the Contact arms 8, 9, 11 and 12 to rest in engagement with any other of said Contact members 2, 3 4 and 5, but when the spindle 6 is 'rotatively moved to dispose any one or' more of the contact arms 8, 9, 11 and 12 to rest on any of the Contact' members 2, 3, 4 and 5 then the Contact arm 10 will not beengaged with any of said Contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The spindle 6 may be rotatively moved in either direction by manipulating a disk- Ylike knob 13 which is fastened to the out-r glardly projecting end portion of .said spin- Fastened to the front surface of the supporting base 1 adjacent to its lower edge is a strip 14 of insulating material of rectangular cross-section through which strip 14 extend transversely a plurality of pairs of metal tubular sockets 15 and 16, 17 'and 18, 19 and 20,` and 21 and 22 which are rigidly supported by said strip 14 in positions spaced from each other.

All ofthe sockets 15, 17 19 and 21 are electrically connected together by a conducting wire-23 that is connected by a conducting wire 24 to one member 25 of a pair of insulated conductors that are twisted to form a flexible cord to which is electrically connected a Well known form of connector plug 26 that is adapted operatively to connect with an electric lamp socket, not shown.

The other member 27 of saidpair of insulated conductors is in electrical connection with the springy sheet metal switch member 7.

The tubular sockets 16, 18 and 20 are respectively connected with'the `Contact members 2, 3 and 4 through resistance coils 28, 29 and 30 while the tubular socket 22 is connected directly to the contact member 5 by a conductor 31.

Four double connector plugs 32, 33, 34 and 35 'of well known form are adapted to be inserted respectively into the pairs of tubular sockets 15 and 16, 17 and 18, 19 and 20, and 21 and 22 to make electrical connections therewith in an obvious manner.

Electrically connected with each of the is a flexible double conductor cord, as conductor cords 36, 37, 38 and 39, respectively,

' which cords may be extended to and be electrically connected with diii'erentctranslating devices 40, 41, 42 and 43 which are to be operatively supplied with an electric current at desired times.

The apparatus thus described may be advantageously utilized to control the supply of electric current to electro-thermal garments which are Wired for the diffusion of electric currents therethrough, and which are used for the tempora envelopment of the body, the head, and t e feet of an invalid toimpart heat thereto in the opera! tion of treating said invalid for rheumatism or other disease.

For instance, the #translating device 40 may represent an electro-thermal cap adapted to envelop ones head, and devices 41 and 42 may represent electro-thermal socks for enveloping ones feet while the device 43 may represent a .large electro-thermal robe or coat for enveloping ones body, the heating` element of which is of a resistance that adapts it to be properly heated by the constant potential current of an incandescent electric lamp circuit, while Ithe heating ele-y ments of the socks and cap are of lower resistance which may differ from each other, but the resistance coils 28, 29 and 30, which are respectively connected in the circuits with the socks and cap, are made to cause` said cilcuits to 'be each of the same resistance as is the circuit of the coat'whereby thesame number of amperes of current willjflow through the heating elements of all the garments represented by the devices 40, 41, 42 A and 43.

Manifestly, when the connector plug 26 is connected with an electric lamp circuit, and all of the double connector lugs 32, 33, 34 and 35 are connected with ille pairs of tu-` bular sockets 15 and 16, 17 and 18, 19 and 20, and 21 and 224 respectively, then the knob 13 may be manipulated rotatively to move the splndle 6 to cause the contact arm 110 to rest upon and connect with a required one of the Contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5 to connect the heating element of a desired one of the electro-thermal garments with said lamp cir-A cuit, or, as may be desired, yto cause -said or with'only thetwo contact members 4 and 5, or with all of the contact members 2, 3, 4 and 5, as may be required to conduct the same number of amperes of current -to one, more, or all of the heating elements of Said garments as may b e desired in an obvious manner. 'i

If all of the translating devices are of the same resistance, the resistance' coils 28, 29

and 30 will not be -required in order to cause l the same number of amperes of current to flow through the circuit of each of said translating devices.

Obviously, changes may be made in the forms, dimensions and arrangement Aof parts of my invention without departing from-the spirit thereof. Y

What I claim is:

An electric switch having separable double connectors, one member ofeach of whichV connectors consists of a double plug and the other member of each of which connectors consists of two insulated metal sockets;V

means for connecting one socket of each of said double connectors with one terminal of a source 'of electricity; a plurality of e ually spaced electric contact members, a di erent one of' which is in connection with the other socket of a different one of said connectors; a plurality of integral electrical contact arms mounted on a rotatively movable spindie,- one of which contact arms is adapted to 'be disposed to rest upon a desired one of said contact members, while the others of said contact arms are disengaged from the to a rotative movement of said spindle; and

the others of said contact arms beingladaptferent others of said contact members, 1n response arms withl the terminal of said source ofelectricity.-

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 'my name this 4th'day of JanuaryA. D., 1918. V y

WILLIAM F. CRADDICK. Witness:` i 1 C. JOHNSON. 

